Being a teenager in the early 21st century isn’t exactly what you might call worry free. We’re under pressure like never before to perform and do well in everything we do. It’s not that we’re averse to doing well. And we’re certainly not without our talents as a generation. But it’s hard to enjoy the moment when you know so much is riding on your decisions. The bottom line? We need to make good decisions early on if we’re going to be able to get what we want out of life.

So what should we do?

Build Up People Skills

Have you ever been around somebody who is really successful? They’re almost always outwardly focused people. When you talk to them, they seem genuinely curious about you and what you’re doing. Sometimes, it can feel a bit embarrassing. After all, what’s so interesting about your life? But you’re nevertheless drawn in by their interest in you.

It might seem a bit daunting, but there’s nothing to stop you from doing the same. Practicing being curious in other people and what they’re doing will go a long way to improving the impression you create. And, as we all know, impressions are important.

Learn English To A High Standard

English, they say, is the language of business. And there’s a good reason for this. English contains more words for more technical subjects than any other language in the world. What that means in practice is that people can express themselves better in English than they can in practically any other language. Have you ever watched a foreign TV channel and noticed the odd English word blurted out from time to time? It’s because of the language’s universal appeal.

Going to English classes and learning to speak English fluently is, therefore, a great tool to have in your toolkit. When you want a job in the future, your ability to tell people your ideas will be a major consideration. Being able to speak and use English could be what lands you a job in your dream industry.

Manage Your Money

Managing your money is one of most important life skills you can have. It’s all about deferring gratification. In other words, you don’t just go out and blow your money straight away on the things you want. Instead, you wait a while, putting money aside for a rainy day.

But how can you practice managing your money? Well, one thing you can do is open a saving account. Accounts, where you don't have immediate access to your money tend to be the best. For one, you can’t fall prey to temptation and just withdraw all your savings. The other reason is that they tend to pay more interest, which is good if you’ve got a big college bill to pay.

Learn To Cook

Cooking is at the heart of what it means to be a human being. After all, people have been cooking for hundreds of thousands of years. And it’s important that we learn how to do it. Not cooking is one of the reasons why so many of us are overweight. And it’s one of the reasons why we’ve never got any money. Take out is way more expensive than home-cooked. Buzzfeed has some great cooking ideas to get you started.